Multi-position body support

Abstract

A multi-position body support, commonly known as a stander, supports a user in either a prone or supine orientation at any position from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially standing or vertical position. The multi-position body support comprises a tubular base having dual lock caster wheels for easy moving and positioning of the stander. A vertical support assembly, pivotally mounted to the tubular base, comprises a foot cylinder, knee support frame and a height adjustment frame. A foot support is mounted to the foot cylinder, a knee support is mounted to the knee support frame and a hip support, a trunk support and a head support can be mounted to the height adjustment frame. A padded strapping system secures the user within the pads and to the vertical support assembly. The foot supports can be rotated to aid in orienting the user in the prone or supine position. A pneumatic shock assembly connects the vertical support assembly to the tubular base frame and comprise a lockable pneumatic shock provides for urging the vertical support assembly from a horizontal position to a vertical position. A pedal is provided for unlocking the shock to adjust the angular orientation of the vertical support assembly in relation to the tubular base frame at any desired position between the horizontal and the vertical. A separate moveable tray is supported on dual lock caster wheels for use with the stander.

The embodiments for which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. In a multi-position body support comprising: a base frame adapted to be supported by a floor;   an elongated vertical support frame which is pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the base frame for rotation about a horizontal axis at the one end thereof;   body supports mounted to the vertical support frame for supporting a user on the vertical support frame, the body supports having fasteners for securing the user to the body supports, the body supports including a pair of foot supports, each of which is mounted on the vertical support frame at said one end and each of which is adapted to retain a foot of a user supported by the body support;   an adjustable brace between the base frame and the vertical support frame and having a first and a second portion which are adjustable with respect to each other to lengthen or shorten the length of the brace to control the angular orientation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame; and   the improvement which comprises:   the body supports comprise a head support which is removably mounted to the vertical support frame to support the head of a user in a supine position; and   the brace is positioned on the base frame and on the vertical support frame so that the brace adjustably supports the vertical support frame between a substantially horizontal position and a vertical position with respect to the base frame.   
     
     
       2. The multi-position body support of claim 1 wherein the vertical support frame comprises a pair of parallel support tubes to which are clamped the body supports. 
     
     
       3. The multi-position body support of claim 2 wherein the vertical support frame further comprises a knee support frame having a pair of tubes which are slidably received on the parallel support tubes and releasable fasteners for adjustable positioning of the knee support frame on the adjustable parallel support tubes. 
     
     
       4. The multi-position body support of claim 2 wherein the vertical support frame further comprises a height adjustment frame having a pair of tubes which are slidably received on the parallel support tubes and releasable fasteners for adjustable positioning of the height adjustment frame on the parallel support tubes. 
     
     
       5. The multi-position body support of claim 2 wherein the base frame has caster wheels with locks for locking the rotational movement of each caster wheel about a vertical axis and locking the rotation of each caster wheel about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
       6. The multi-position body support of claim 2 wherein the body supports further comprise a pair of foot supports, each of which is mounted on the vertical support frame for rotation about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
       7. The multi-position body support of claim 6 wherein the foot supports are each mounted to the vertical support frame for rotation about a vertical axis. 
     
     
       8. The multi-position body support of claim 7 wherein the foot supports are each mounted to the vertical support frame for lateral adjustment with respect to the vertical support frame. 
     
     
       9. The multi-position body support of claim 8 wherein the foot supports are each mounted to the vertical support frame for adjustment toward and away from the horizontal axis of rotation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame. 
     
     
       10. The multi-position body support of claim 6 wherein the foot supports are each mounted to the vertical support frame for lateral adjustment with respect to the vertical support frame. 
     
     
       11. The multi-position body support of claim 6 wherein the foot supports are mounted to the vertical support frame for adjustment toward and away from the horizontal axis of rotation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame. 
     
     
       12. The multi-position body support of claim 1 wherein the foot supports, are mounted on the vertical support frame for rotation about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
       13. The multi-position body support of claim 12 wherein the foot supports are each mounted to the vertical support frame for rotation about a vertical axis. 
     
     
       14. The multi-position body support of claim 13 wherein the foot supports are mounted to the vertical support frame for lateral adjustment with respect to the vertical support frame. 
     
     
       15. The multi-position body support of claim 1 wherein the body supports further comprise foot supports mounted to the vertical support frame for rotation about a vertical axis. 
     
     
       16. The multi-position body support of claim 1 wherein the body supports further comprise a pair of foot supports, each mounted on the vertical support frame for lateral adjustment with respect to the vertical support frame. 
     
     
       17. The multi-position body support of claim 1 wherein the base frame has caster wheels which are mounted for rotation about a vertical and a horizontal axis and locks for locking the rotational movement of the caster wheel about a vertical axis and locking the rotation of the wheels about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
       18. The multi-position body support of claim 1 wherein the vertical support frame comprises at least one vertical support tube and a knee support frame having at least one tube which is slidably received on the at least one vertical support tube and a fastener for securing the knee support frame on the vertical support tube in an adjusted position. 
     
     
       19. The multi-position body support of claim 18 wherein the vertical support frame further comprises a height adjustment frame including at least one tube which is slidably received on the at least one vertical support tube and a fastener for adjustably securing the height adjustment frame on the vertical support tube. 
     
     
       20. The multi-position body support of claim 1 wherein the vertical support frame further comprises at least one vertical support tube and a height adjustment frame including at least one tube which is slidably received on the at least one vertical support tube and a fastener for securing the height adjustment frame in one of multiple adjusted positions with respect to the vertical support tube. 
     
     
       21. The multi-position body support according to claim 1 wherein the brace is a lockable air cylinder for infinite adjustment between the first and second portions of the brace. 
     
     
       22. The multi-position body support according to claim 21 wherein the cylinder has an actuating pin to unlock the cylinder when depressed and further comprising a foot pedal movably mounted on the base frame for movement between neutral and actuating positions; and a coupling between the foot pedal and the actuating pin to unlock the cylinder when the foot pedal is moved between neutral and actuating positions. 
     
     
       23. The multi-position body supporting according to claim 1 wherein the first and second portions of the brace are biased with respect to each other to extend the brace and raise the vertical support frame to a vertical position. 
     
     
       24. The multi-position body support according to claim 1 wherein the body supports comprise a trunk support mounted at an upper portion of the vertical support frame and a hip support mounted beneath the body supports on the vertical support frame and the fasteners include straps which extend between said trunk supports and said hip supports. 
     
     
       25. A multi-position body support according to claim 24 wherein said body supports further comprise at least one trunk restraint pad mounted to the trunk support and adapted to restrain a front portion of a patient body in the supine and vertical positions, the at least one trunk support and said straps between said trunk supports and said hip supports being connected to form a harness for said patient in said supine and vertical positions. 
     
     
       26. In a multi-position body support comprising: a base frame adapted to be supported by a floor;   an elongated vertical support frame which is pivotally mounted to the base frame for rotation about a horizontal axis;   body supports mounted to the vertical support frame for supporting a user on the vertical support frame, the body supports having fasteners for securing the user to the body supports; and   an adjustable brace between the base frame and the vertical support frame to control the angular orientation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame;   the improvement which comprises:   the vertical support frame comprises a pair of parallel support tubes;   each of the body supports having a mounting plate adjacent to and on one side of the support tubes and further having a fastener receiver;   a clamping plate juxtaposed to each of the body supports in registry with one of the mounting plates in a respective body support on another side of the support tubes; and   an adjustable fastener extending through the clamping plate and in adjustable engagement with the fastener receiver in the mounting plate, whereby the body supports are selectively clamped to the parallel support tubes for longitudinal movement with respect thereto.   
     
     
       27. In a multi-position body support comprising: a base frame adapted to be supported by a floor;   an elongated vertical support frame which is pivotally mounted to the base frame for rotation about a horizontal axis;   body supports mounted to the vertical support frame for supporting a user on the vertical support frame, the body supports having fasteners for securing the user to the body supports; and   an adjustable brace between the base frame and the vertical support frame to control the angular orientation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame;   the improvement which comprises:   the body supports comprise a pair of foot supports adapted to mount feet of a user supported by the multi-position body support, the foot supports being mounted to the vertical support frame for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation between the vertical support assembly and the base frame.   
     
     
       28. The multi-position body support of claim 21 wherein the foot supports are further mounted on the vertical support frame for rotation about a horizontal axis with respect thereto. 
     
     
       29. The multi-position body support according to claim 28 wherein the foot supports are each mounted on the vertical support frame for lateral adjustment with respect to the vertical support frame. 
     
     
       30. The multi-position body support according to claim 29 wherein the foot supports are each mounted on the vertical support frame for adjustment toward and away from the axis of rotation of the vertical support with respect to the base frame. 
     
     
       31. The multi-position body support according to claim 21 wherein the foot supports are each mounted on the vertical support assembly for adjustment toward and away from the axis of rotation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame. 
     
     
       32. In a multi-position body support comprising a base frame adapted to be supported by a floor;   an elongated vertical support frame which is pivotally mounted to the base frame for rotation about a horizontal axis;   body supports mounted to the vertical support frame for supporting a user on the vertical support frame, the body supports having fasteners for securing the user to the body supports; and   an adjustable brace between the base frame and the vertical support frame to control the angular orientation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame;   the improvement which comprises:   the vertical support frame comprises at least one vertical support tube, a knee support frame having at least one tube which is slidably received on the at least one vertical support tube and a fastener for securing the knee support frame on the at least one vertical support robe in an adjusted position on the vertical support tube;   the vertical support frame further comprises a height adjustment frame including at least one extension tube which is slidably received on the at least one vertical support tube and a fastener for adjustably securing the height adjustment frame on the at least one vertical support tube in an adjusted position; and   some of the body supports are slidably clamped to the knee support frame and other of the body supports are clamped to the height adjustment frame wherein said some body supports are moveable with respect to the knee support frame and the vertical support frame independent of the movement of the other body supports with respect to said vertical support frame.   
     
     
       33. The multi-position body support of claim 32 wherein the body supports comprise a trunk support which is mounted to the height adjustment frame. 
     
     
       34. The multi-position body support of claim 32 wherein the body supports comprise a head support mounted in a vertical orientation on the height adjustment frame for supporting the head of the user in the supine position. 
     
     
       35. In a multi-position body support comprising: a base frame adapted to be supported by a floor;   an elongated vertical support frame which is pivotally mounted to the base frame for rotation about a horizontal axis;   body supports mounted to the vertical support frame for supporting a user on the vertical support frame, the body supports having fasteners for securing the user to the body supports;   an adjustable brace between the base frame and the vertical support frame and having a first and a second portion which are adjustable with respect to each other to lengthen or shorten the length of the brace to control the angular orientation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame;   the improvement which comprises:   the brace comprises an air cylinder and the first and second portions of the brace are biased with respect to each other by air pressure in the air cylinder so as to extend the brace to raise the vertical support frame into a vertical position; and   the adjustable brace is pivotally mounted to the base frame for rotation about a horizontal axis, which is parallel to and spaced a fixed distance from the horizontal axis of the vertical support frame.   
     
     
       36. The multi-position body support according to claim 35 and further comprising a releasable lock between the first and second portions of the brace for releasably locking the first and second portions of the brace in adjusted positions with respect to each other; a foot pedal movably mounted on the base frame for movement between neutral and actuating positions; and   a coupling between the foot pedal and the lock for releasing the lock between the first and second positions of the brace when the foot pedal is moved between neutral and actuating positions;   whereby the vertical support frame can be easily adjusted with respect to the base frame by moving the foot pedal between the neutral and actuating positions and adjusting the position of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame.   
     
     
       37. The multi-position body support according to claim 36 wherein the brace comprises a gas cylinder. 
     
     
       38. The multi-position body support of claim 2 wherein the body supports further comprise a pair of knee supports, each of which is mounted on a vertical support frame for rotation about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
       39. The multi-position body support of claim 38 wherein the knee supports are mounted to the pair of parallel support tubes for longitudinal adjustment of the knee supports with respect to the parallel support tubes. 
     
     
       40. The multi-position body support of claim 39 wherein the knee supports are mounted to the pair of parallel support tubes for lateral adjustment with respect to the pair of parallel support tubes. 
     
     
       41. The multi-position body support of claim 40 wherein the knee supports comprise a U-shaped structural foam member having a belt spanning the ends of the legs of the U-shaped foam member. 
     
     
       42. The multi-position body support of claim 39 wherein the knee supports comprise a U-shaped structural foam member having a belt spanning the ends of the legs of the U-shaped foam member. 
     
     
       43. The multi-position body support of claim 39 wherein the body supports further comprise a hip support mounted to the vertical support frame for longitudinal adjustment with respect to the parallel support tubes. 
     
     
       44. The multi-position body support of claim 43 wherein the hip support comprises a U-shaped structural foam member having a belt spanning the ends of the legs of the U-shaped foam member. 
     
     
       45. The multi-position body support of claim 16 wherein the body supports further comprises a trunk support mounted to the vertical support frame for longitudinal adjustment with respect to the parallel support tubes. 
     
     
       46. The multi-position body support of claim 45 wherein the trunk support has a back portion and side portions, the back portion is larger than the side portions and the side portions are tapered for an ergonomic fit under the arms of the user. 
     
     
       47. The multi-position body support of claim 46 wherein the trunk support comprises a U-shaped structural foam member having a belt spanning the ends of the legs of the U-shaped foam member. 
     
     
       48. In a multi-position body support comprising: a base frame adapted to be supported by a floor;   an elongated vertical support frame which is pivotally mounted to the base frame for rotation about a horizontal axis;   body supports mounted to the vertical support frame for supporting a user on the vertical support frame for supporting a user on the vertical support frame, the body supports having fasteners for securing the user to the body support;   an adjustable brace between the base frame and the vertical support frame having a first and a second portion which are adjustable with respect to each other to lengthen or shorten the length of the brace to control the angular orientation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame, and   the improvement which comprises:   the brace comprises a lockable air cylinder positioned on the base frame and on the vertical support frame so that the brace adjustably supports the vertical support frame for infinite adjustment between a substantially horizontal position and a vertical position with respect to the base frame, the cylinder has an actuating pin to unlock the cylinder when depressed; and further comprising a foot pedal movably mounted on the base frame with movement between neutral and actuating positions; and a coupling between the foot pedal and the actuating pin to unlock the cylinder when the foot pedal is moved between neutral and actuating positions.   
     
     
       49. The multi-position body support according to claim 48 wherein the cylinder biases the brace in an extended position. 
     
     
       50. In a multi-position body support comprising: a base frame adapted to be supported by a floor;   an elongated vertical support frame which is pivotally mounted to the base frame for rotation about a horizontal axis;   body supports mounted to the vertical support frame for supporting a user on the vertical support frame, the body supports having fasteners for securing the user to the body supports, the body supports including a trunk support mounted on an upper portion of the vertical support frame and a hip support mounted beneath the body supports on the vertical support frame and the fasteners include straps which extend between the trunk support and the hip support;   at least one trunk restraint pad mounted to the trunk support and adapted to restrain a front portion of a user's body in the supine and vertical positions, the at least one trunk support and said straps between said trunk supports and said hip supports being connected to form a harness for said patient and said supine and vertical positions; and   an adjustable brace between the base frame and the vertical support frame having a first and a second portion which are adjustable with respect to each other to lengthen or shorten the length of the brace to control the angular orientation of the vertical support frame with respect to the base frame, and the brace is positioned on the base frame and on the vertical support frame so that the brace adjustably supports the vertical support frame between a substantially   horizontal position and a substantially vertical position with respect to the base frame.